Pulled
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Calista is surprised when, while on a hike in the forest, she encounters Angel, who seems to have discovered something that may change his life forever. (References to my stories "Angel," "Angel in Disguise," and "Angelic.")


Pulled

Summary: Calista is surprised when, while on a hike in the forest, she encounters Angel, who seems to have discovered something that may change his life forever. (References to my stories "Angel," "Angel in Disguise," and "Angelic.")

Disclaimer: I only own Angel.

A/N: I just love writing for my darling Angel. He's so mysterious and sweet, and he's a fun character to write. Hope you enjoy!

*Story*

Calista enjoyed spending time with her family and the royal prince and princesses. She really did. But sometimes she just needed to venture out on her own and have some peaceful downtime. Today was one of those days.

Her mother and uncle were currently working on creating some sort of new potion for the king, so she was advised to find something to occupy her time. Both Sofia and Amber were in a study session while James seemed busy with his friends. Again, for once, that suited her just fine.

Calista was an outgoing little girl, naturally. However, every now and then, she did like to step away from the castle and its often-overwhelming royal blanket. Even though she wasn't a royal herself, she felt the prying eyes of the castle workers and especially the guards (although her Uncle Ceddy had told her not to worry about the latter, since he found them to be rather incompetent at their jobs most of the time—whatever _that_ meant). So now, here she was: alone in a forest less than a mile away from the castle. Here she could be herself and play around, without worrying about knocking over a suit of armor or receiving a look of dismay from some of the grownups.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the dark-haired girl announced to no one in particular, "I give you…" She withdrew her wand and grinned, striking a pose. "Calista the-!" She paused, realizing she'd still not yet received a title. "Hmm. I'm not quite sure what my title could be… Calista the Quirky? Nah… Calista the Creative?" She giggled before hearing a small rustle from behind her, which gave her pause.

"I think 'Calista the Charismatic' would be a good title."

The young girl's mouth dropped as she turned upon hearing the familiar voice. Her dark eyes lit up, a large smile spreading across her face. "Angel?!"

Angel smiled back at her, his loose hair stirring in the gentle breeze and his arms spread ever so slightly, as if welcoming her to the empty forest. He chuckled as the shorter girl lunged at him, throwing her arms around him. "You act as though we have not seen each other in many moons." He smiled sheepishly as he returned her hug. "Though I suppose we actually have not… I see you have grown taller, too."

"What are you doing here?" Calista asked in wonder as she released her friend. "And how do you always manage to find me?"

The boy grinned. "I will always find those who intrigue me and make me happy."

Calista blushed a little before turning and beginning to walk away from him. "I see… Well, while I had come out here for some peace and quiet, I can't say no to good company." She gave him a shy smile as he began walking next to her.

"I am pleased to hear that, because I think that I have found something that may be rather beneficial…" He shrugged thoughtfully. "For my own sake, I suppose…"

The young girl tilted her head as they continued onward. "Well, don't be so secretive, Angel. Tell me what you've found."

He stopped walking and turned to her, clasping his hands behind his back. "Have you heard of the legend of the Orb of Odessus?"

"Heard of it? The kids at my old school talked of nothing else during the Mystical Magical Items Week every year. But they say it was lost." She frowned curiously as she watched her friend's expression change. "…Wasn't it?"

"Perhaps at one point it was, but… I believe I might have _found_ it." He blinked as the girl gasped. "What do you know about the orb, Calista?"

"I know it can be quite dangerous if mishandled," she answered softly, her tone thoughtful and serious. "It's rather powerful as well, capable of changing one's life." She stared at him for a few moments, noting the glimmer in his brown eyes. "Angel, what exactly are you planning to do with this if it _is_ the Orb of Odessus?"

Angel stayed silent for a few moments before grabbing her hand and tugging her along. "Come, it is best to show you."

Calista sighed and followed her friend, though the curious nature of his intentions intrigued her. What could he possibly have in mind with a magical orb? There were thousands—hundreds of thousands of them in existence. No magical orb was better than the other, even if this one in particular actually _was_ the Orb of Odessus. …Right?

Deeper into the forest, the area gave way to a large body of water, into which a waterfall cascaded down from a high landform. Just near that was a mysterious-looking cave, which seemed to have something illuminating its dark interior. It didn't take the little sorceress long to figure out that Angel had wanted her to see whatever was glowing within the cave.

"What _is_ it with you and caves?" Calista joked lightly as her friend chuckled and led her onward. Really, she had a point. The Cave of Flames was his favorite place to play, after all. It didn't necessarily surprise her that he'd somehow found yet another cave here in Enchancia. As they entered the hollow area, the young girl instantly noticed what could only be the Orb of Odessus.

The orb in question was glowing and hovering midair. It was a strange blend of light blue and purple swirls, which resembled paintings from a museum or something of a similar quality. It emitted a curious warmth, in contrast with the cold cave. Calista watched as her friend stepped forward and reached out, grasping the orb gently. "Angel… I don't know if you should do that…"

"There is something I have not told you," the boy admitted as he turned to face his friend, the orb producing a soft humming tone and its glow a bit more intense. Angel's eyes were fixated on the object he was holding, not on Calista, who was enthralled with his words. "This orb…was made by an enchanter from my tribe many centuries ago."

Calista gasped.

"His name was Odessus, as I am sure you have figured out. According to legend, the orb was used for many things: enhancing magical powers, healing, and even altering time…or aging." He glanced toward the girl, who seemed perplexed. "The orb grew so powerful, though, that Odessus was worried it could destroy our village or, even worse, that a corrupt person may attempt to use it for evil doings."

"So he hid it," the sorceress surmised, frowning as the boy nodded. "Angel, how did you even find it if it's been lost for so long?" Her mouth dropped as he gave her a guilty look. "You _knew_ it was here, didn't you?"

"I have been around a long time, Calista. You know this… And my quest for finding it has led me to many places, even here… It is almost as if I were pulled straight to it." He clutched the orb to his chest. "It is said that the Orb of Odessus would thrive in an enchanted land—such as Enchancia—and would respond positively to those with magical abilities."

"Like me," the girl finished, stepping back once. "Is that why you befriended me, then? So you could use my magic to, what, activate whatever magic is inside that stupid thing?"

"Calista—"

"I can't _believe_ the one friend I make on my own would _use_ me like this. That's what all that 'bonding time' and randomly showing up to talk to me was all about, wasn't it?" She huffed and turned, beginning to storm away. "Uncle Ceddy is right. People are awful!"

"Calista, would you please listen to me?!" Angel rushed over to the girl and grasped her hand, turning her to face him. His dark eyes peered into her own, giving her an imploring, pleading stare. "I did not mean to hurt you," he told her gently.

"You _did_ ," she confirmed. "If our friendship is solely based on this dumb orb—"

"Are you really that clueless?" He shook his head as she glared at him. "Calista, I care for you. I thought I made that perfectly clear." He reached up and gently caressed her cheek with his free hand, smiling as she blushed—either in embarrassment or irritation, he couldn't be certain. "I never meant to imply that I needed to use your powers to activate the orb. After all, I am plenty capable myself, remember? I meant only that with so much magic and so many wielders around, it made it far easier to find this." He lowered his hand to the orb, gently tapping it.

"So…" Calista frowned in confusion. "What exactly do you need me here for then?"

"Moral support," he admitted with a sigh. "You really do not know what I hope to do with the Orb of Odessus, do you?"

She pondered on his recent words. ' _According to legend, the orb was used for many things: enhancing magical powers, healing, and even altering time…or_ _ **aging**_.' Her eyes widened as she looked toward him again. "You mean…"

Angel smiled. "I think it is time for me to finally grow up…" He eyed the orb curiously. "If I do this right, I will age normally, like any other person, and I will not be confined to the age of ten for the rest of my existence… I can finally know what it is like to _live_."

"And the Cave of Flames won't counteract that?" she wondered, recalling that whatever magic existed in the cave near his homeland of Wolf's Valley outside the Kingdom of Orthe seemed to affect him somehow. His own brother had alluded to the fact that _something_ had caused Angel to become an 'ageless conjuror,' so she had to ponder on it a bit.

"The Orb of Odessus is stronger than the magic in the Cave of Flames. Even the cave's pull on me will not be enough to reverse this spell." He blinked as Calista placed a hand on his arm.

"Are you _sure_ this is what you want to do? I highly doubt you will be able to undo it later."

Angel smiled sadly. "I have had to live on my own for a long time. I know my entire family is gone, even my little brother Keme recently, from what I heard…" He lowered his head as the girl gasped softly. "I have no one left, Calista. Being alone as a child… I am not sure I can handle that anymore."

Calista observed him for a few moments before gently hugging him from the side, surprising him a bit. "You are not alone, Angel. You have me."

He smiled appreciatively and used his free arm to return the hug. "Thank you, Calista." He released her and firmly held the orb in both of his hands. "You may want to stand back a bit." He nodded as the young girl did just that, leaning against a tree and waiting. The boy closed his eyes and breathed deeply before releasing it. His posture relaxed and his mind focused, he began chanting an ancient spell in his own language, one his friend did not know or understand.

Calista observed as a strange wind picked up, bringing with it some blossoms from nearby trees and bits and pieces of earth, all surrounding her friend in one mesmerizing swirl as he continued chanting and the magic of the orb encircled him. His hair whipped around him, and his clothing rustled against the effects of the wind before the final words fell from his lips. When all died down, Angel simply stood there with his eyes closed and his hands still clasping the now-stagnant orb. "Angel?"

The boy opened his eyes, and he instantly realized something was different. He was still the same age and still held those same tribe-based powers, but he could _feel_ it. He was slowly beginning to age again… Strange how he knew that after such a long time. He turned and nodded happily toward Calista. "It worked."

She smiled and walked over to him. "So… What are you going to do with the Orb of Odessus now?"

"I will return it to its resting place. It is a sign of respect to the magic within, as well as Odessus himself." He allowed the orb to float from his hands and into the center of the cave again, slowly reinstating itself in its designated spot, the previous glow returning and surrounding its form. Angel turned back to his friend and simply held out his hand, softly chuckling as she took it. He then led her out of the cave.

A few minutes had passed with the friends simply walking and chatting as nature and wildlife alike seemed very much alive and active around them when the sorceress finally decided to ask a question that had been in the back of her mind for a little while now.

"Angel?" Calista asked as she glanced at her friend imploringly. "What made you decide to start growing up again anyway?"

Angel simply smiled with a mysterious twinkle in his eyes as they continued walking. "I have my reasons." He gently squeezed her hand, earning a smile from his friend.

The end


End file.
